STATISTICAL SYSTEM IN INDONESIA:
CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS
By Rusman Heriawan
Eleventh Meeting of the Heads of National Statistical Offices of
East Asian Countries, 6 – 8 November 2006, Tokyo, Japan

National Statistical System
(Law Number 16/1997 on Statistics)
􀂃 Indonesia is implementing a semi-centralized statistical
system. Statistical survey to some extent may be
conducted by various government and private research
agencies
􀂃 BPS Statistics Indonesia functioning as a leading agency
to coordinate and advise statistical-related activities
initiated by various agencies
􀂃 BPS is also responsible for developing and standardizing
socio-economic classifications, concepts and definitions,
and measurements to be used by related government
agencies
􀂃 To support BPS mission and responsibility, an advisory
board consisting of independent persons from universities,
NGOs, governments were chosen to work closely with BPS
in facing methodology, non-response problems and future
challenges.

Types of Statistics and Responsibility
A. Basic Statistics
General-purpose or basic statistics, the provision of which are
the responsibility of BPS, are those utilized for a broad range
of purposes, having cross-sectoral characteristics, aggregated at
national and macro level.
B. Sectoral Statistics
Sectoral statistics are statistics conducted and produced by
sectors including by-product of their administration, compiled
independently or in cooperation with BPS, to satisfy needs to
perform their duties.
C. Special Statistics
Specific statistics are those utilized to fulfill specific needs of
businesses, education, socio-culture, and community interests,
mainly conducted by private research agencies

BPS Statistics Indonesia
􀂃 BPS is a non-departemental government agency
under the directives of and responsible to the
President
􀂃 As the main component of the National Statistical
System, BPS plays a very important role in
statistical development
􀂃 BPS has 33 offices at provincial level, 440 offices
at regency/municipality level, and at least one
official at sub-district level, employing a total of 14
000 staffs all over Indonesia

BPS Vision and Mission
Vision : realizing reliable statistical data as national and subnational
information backbone.
Mission:
􀂃 To provide complete, accurate, and up-to date statistical
information,
􀂃 To coordinate, integrate, synchronize, and standardize
statistical activities to create qualified, effective, and
efficient National Statistical System,
􀂃 To improve human resources capability so that they
become professional, and capable of dealing with science
and information technology of the latest development.

Figure 2 Organizational Structure of BPS-Statistics Indonesia
Director General
Bureau
of Program
Management
Bureau of
Personnel and
Legal Affairs
Bureau
of Finance
Bureau
of General
Affairs
Principal Secretary
Deputy Director
General for Social
Statistics
Deputy Director
General for Methodology and Statistical Information
Deputy Director
General for National
Accounts and
Statistical Analysis
Deputy Director
General for
Economic Statistics
Directorate
of Statistical
Methodology
Directorate
of Statistical
Dissemination
Directorate
of Statistical
Information System
Directorate
of Population
Statistics
Directorate
of Social Welfare
Statistics
Directorate
of Social Resilience
Statistics
Directorate
of Agricultural
Statistics
Directorate
of Industrial
Statistics
Directorate
of Financial and
Price Statistics
Directorate
of Production
Accounts
Directorate
of Consumption
A t
Directorate
of Statistical
Analysis
Directorate
of Trade and
Services Statistics
Education and
Training Center
Institute of Statistics Inspectorate
BPS Regional
Statistics Offices

BPS Strategic Planning
􀂃 Bottom up planning is considered to respond to
the data needs for regional planning and
decentralization process
􀂃 In practice, combination of bottom-up and topdown
approach is implemented
􀂃 Two Key Strategies:
o Optimize resources to meet an increasing demand of
statistical data
o Expand types of basic statistics demanded and increase
the quality of statistical data

BPS Strategic Planning to Meet The
Challenges (1)
􀂃 Improve working relations and open discourses
with international institutions by providing more up
to date and complete national data
􀂃 Strengthen networking with other government
agencies in producing consistent sectoral data
􀂃 Improve types and quality of socio-economic
indicators related to the issues of MDG, HDI,
Gender, etc. by providing data commitment

BPS Strategic Planning to Meet The
Challenges (2)
􀂃 Enhance the quality and objectivity of strategic
data to measure government performance:
inflation, economic growth, unemployment and
poverty by providing more accurate data
􀂃 Enlarge data provision to meet the small area
statistics in line with decentralization by
strengthening regional data
􀂃 Strengthen BPS capacity and capability to provide
micro data for direct program implementation by
providing operational data.

CONCLUSION
􀂃 Under the semi-centralized statistical system
implemented in Indonesia, BPS plays a very
important role in statistical development
􀂃 Recently, statistics is not just used as information
but also used as a measurement of success
(confirming and clarifying the right or wrong) of
government policies
􀂃 Increase of non-response rate in many surveys
due to the misconception of democratization and
freedom of speech influenced the quality and
availability of data needs.